Swimming pool covers are often used for keeping the water free of trash, to shield the water from sunlight that could degrade protective chemicals in the water and for other purposes. Automatic pool covers are often preferable over manually-operated covers, because the cover can be easily extended when the pool is not in use and retracted during use. In most cases, a pool cover box is located at one end of the pool to hold the cover, motor, winding reel and cable.
To enhance the pool appearance, the pool cover box may be set in the decking flush with the rest of the deck and covered with a lid. Typically, the lid is formed in several sections to enable portions of the lid to be easily removed to access the box. The lid sections need to be adequately and evenly braced to support the weight of the lid and other forces that may traverse the lid surface. The lid sections should also be arranged so that they may be readily removed when access to the box is required.
Prior designs for a pool cover box and lid tend to add significantly to the cost of the pool. Typically, each section of the lid is custom fabricated and each support for the lid sections is permanently secured at a location on the box wall for the lid sections to be evenly supported.
Also, the pool cover box is often located at the front end of the pool, which is a focal point for the pool area. It may be desirable to cover over the pool cover box with aesthetically appealing material that coordinates in appearance with the pool deck and the rest of the pool surroundings. Sometimes, stone, masonry or other heavy materials may be used to enhance the visual effect. In such cases, a strong support is needed for the pool cover lid to support the weight of these materials.